00:00These rare saplings have been carefully cultivated.
00:06We've taken cuttings from the wild population to represent the genetic variation in the
00:12wild population and we're trying to replicate that here.
00:17Dozens of Macadamia jensenii plants are being planted at an Indigenous-owned property called
00:24Thornhill Station near Miriam Vale.
00:27The species is endangered and only found within Bulburrin National Park.
00:33Researchers realised just how vulnerable the population was after bushfires burned more
00:39than 7,000 hectares of the park in late 2019.
00:44It's a real concern for us that it's not found anywhere else and that it's been impacted
00:50heavily by fires in the past.
00:53While the species can't be harvested because of its poisonous properties...
00:58It does tend to be bitter.
01:00It's because macadamia produces a cyanide product.
01:05It needs to be safeguarded for environmental purposes.
01:09Even just to help our ecosystem to come back to the way it used to be, we know it doesn't
01:16happen overnight.
01:17At least we can start by planting it slowly just to help it for the future.
01:22Botanic gardens, like the ones here in Bundaberg, help to propagate back-up populations of
01:29endangered species.
01:31Being able to connect with First Nations people on country and enable this conservation work
01:36is just a really fulfilling thing for all of us involved in this.
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